By Uwin Lugoda
TikTok has become the newest trend in social media, boasting an impressive 800 million monthly users worldwide and average daily usage of 52 minutes; the platform is almost on par with long-standing social media platforms like Instagram.
Released in 2016 as a video platform where people could share and edit videos that are between 15 and 60 seconds long, the app is currently present in over 150 countries, with over two billion downloads in both Google Play Store and the App Store; it has now caught the attention of brands and social media marketers.
[caption id="attachment_87096" align="alignright" width="300"]
Fast food brands like Chipotle, a US-based franchise with a target market predominantly of 35-year-olds and above, used the app to make videos targeting a younger audience.[/caption]
Internationally, brands have begun considering TikTok as a viable marketing tool to reach younger audiences. Fast food brands like Chipotle, a US-based franchise with a target market predominantly of 35-year-olds and above, used the app to make videos targeting a younger audience. The franchise has now gone to become a regular content creator on the platform, attracting a whole new target market.
A TikTok agency
This trend has now given rise to Tikable, Sri Lanka's first TikTok-centric marketing agency dedicated to using the platform as a marketing tool to help brands reach out to Gen Z and Millennial consumers.
Tikable is an arm of Blendmedia, a marketing start-up that launched in 2018, that caters for 30 brands in both digital and traditional marketing.
According to Blendmedia Chief Executive Officer (CEO)/Co-founder Nipun Liyanapathirana, TikTok is currently the fastest-growing platform in the world right now, and products and services ideally targeted at the Gen Z and Millennial market – aged between 14 and 30 – can have much better traction there than any other social media platform.
"The reason people use TikTok is because it’s a short video-based platform, where they can create content in any way they like; they are only limited by their imagination. The app is all about promoting everyone to become a content creator; brands can use this as a new way to put themselves out there."
Speaking to The Sunday Morning Business, Liyanapathirana explained that the current digital advertising sector is used to a lot of scripted advertisements and high-end commercials, which consumers in that age group do not always relate to. He went on to point out that this is where TikTok stands out, as it is more raw and authentic for the consumers.
"Even if you take social media advertising on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, you see a lot of brands put out advertisements similar to what they would put out on TV. What this app has done is disrupted this social media advertising landscape, and now brands can activate themselves to a massive audience which is very young, at a much lower cost."
As an example, he pointed out that fashion brands that usually spend a lot of their budget on professional photo shoots, sponsored posts on Facebook and Instagram, and hire influencers, can instead use a smartphone to create a short video that gets the same amount of reach and penetration, or higher, in that target market.
Liyanapathirana stated that the platform opens up brands to a mix of consumers, with segments such as SEC (Socio Economic Class) A and SEC B upper, which are classifications used for the high socioeconomic classes in the market, coming into the platform following the Covid-19 pandemic. He explained that following the imposed lockdown, consumers had enough time to get their hands on the app and start regularly using it.
[caption id="attachment_87097" align="alignleft" width="300"]
The Tikable logo[/caption]
"While initially there were mixed perceptions about the app in Sri Lanka, in January, we began to see it pick up and we saw what international brands were doing with it. So when the country was in lockdown, people downloaded the app and saw the short, dynamic, and simple videos, and realised that it was something unique, and kept going back."
He stated that brands already targeting consumers in this segment can prosper by introducing TikTok into their marketing plan, and other brands can expand their target markets too include this segment using the app.
"TikTok does not demand high-end production or content, so it is a great opportunity to roll out their marketing plans on the platform at almost no cost at all."
Types of campaigns
According to Liyanapathirana, Sri Lanka does not have the ability to run paid ads on the platform, like bigger markets such as the US and India. Instead, he stated that what local brands can do is run “hashtag challenges”.
The general idea of “hashtag challenges” is that users create videos that benefit your brands’ reputation and awareness. These challenges are unique to the platform and have the potential to go viral.
Liyanapathirana explained that these challenges have already been utilised locally by brands such as Dettol, which hosted the “handwash challenge”, and Maggi, which hosted the “papare kottu challenge”. He stated that the TikTok community is big on adopting trends, and therefore when brands introduce something fresh and interesting, everyone will start engaging.
He pointed out that internationally, brands can also initiate a hashtag challenge as a paid event, so brands can pay the platform and place the challenges in consumers’ explore feeds depending on the demographics they are targeting. However, since the feature is not available in Sri Lanka, he stated that brands have to rely on organic traction.
"The platform was built to target people who like to dance and be creative; challenges that incorporate some sort of a dance routine or an attractive sound track into the mix can help brands benefit from the platform."
Taking the hashtag challenge posted by Dettol as an example, Liyanapathirana stated that the campaign was done to share the company's message of keeping the public's hands constantly clean during this pandemic. He went on to state that the brand saw more than a 1,000 entries from that one campaign.
He stated that the campaigns created depend on the brand objective, i.e. whether they want to use the platform to drive sales or drive people to their websites and other social media. However, Liyanapathirana suggested that right now is the best time for brands to gain exposure through the app, by creating campaigns that would organically create traction and drive exposure.
Speaking on what sectors the platform would be ideal for, Liyanapathirana stated that the main sectors would be apparel and food and beverages (F&B), while SMEs (small and medium enterprises) in most sectors would benefit from it too, as they have diverse markets.
Another area he mentioned seeing a lot of traction is the automobile sector, due to content creators utilising their vehicles for their videos, opening up the app for automobile brands.
"From what we have seen, even celebrities and artists can use the platform to increase their following or keep their current followers entertained."
What part does Tikable play?
[caption id="attachment_87095" align="alignright" width="300"]
Blendmedia Chief Executive Officer (CEO)/Co-founder Nipun Liyanapathirana[/caption]
Liyanapathirana explained that they wanted to create an agency that could get the platform to work for any brand, whether in dentistry, a fashion brand, or even a marketing manager for a blue chip brand. He went on to state that they want to help brands use TikTok as a new marketing channel that can be added into their marketing mix.
Tikable acts as a strategic partner for brands by helping them develop a comprehensive marketing strategy for TikTok. Liyanapathirana stated that they bring their creative expertise from having worked with 30 brands in Blendmedia's two years of operation so far.
"We will first create the strategy based on the brand's goals, depending on whether they want to drive brand exposure, drive sales, or just share a message. We ideally start with a three-month strategy for brands and then develop it into a six to 12-month strategy as we go forward."
He stated that Tikable's second job is to create the content for TikTok, generally videos between 15 to 30 seconds. Using one of their current restaurant clients as an example, he explained that they would visit their client once or twice a month, plan the content, and shoot all the content with the necessary models, props, and music.
Thirdly, Liyanapathirana stated that the agency will take care of the brand's TikTok platform, similar to how most agencies handle brands’ Facebook and Instagram accounts.
"We will be on top of the brands’ platform, handling comments, messages, and overall community management depending on the brand."
In addition to activating brands and businesses on TikTok, Tikable also partners with talented content creators on the platform to get them brand partnerships for content. They act as a bridge between the brands and content creators.
According to Liyanapathirana, the agency currently has 50-plus content creators, with more signing up every day. These include the likes of high-end influencers, micro influencers, and nano influencers.
He went on to state that since its launch at the start of May, Tikable has already managed to sign up four brands – one footwear brand, two restaurants, and a beauty brand.
When asked if the platform will continue to grow post-Covid, Liyanapathirana stated that while the pandemic gave the app some momentum, pushing its total downloads up form 1.7 billion to two billion, TikTok was anyway a fast-growing platform pre-Covid. Drawing comparisons with other social media platforms, he explained that TikTok has a much higher growth rate than the likes of Instagram.
Social media analysts have stated that TikTok is set to eventually beat Instagram due to more people moving from Instagram to TikTok each day. TikTok's growth is currently not slowing down, as its 800 million users is only 200 million less than that of Instagram. Due to its symbiotic relationship with TikTok, that will certainly please Tikable.
Fast food brands like Chipotle, a US-based franchise with a target market predominantly of 35-year-olds and above, used the app to make videos targeting a younger audience.[/caption]
Internationally, brands have begun considering TikTok as a viable marketing tool to reach younger audiences. Fast food brands like Chipotle, a US-based franchise with a target market predominantly of 35-year-olds and above, used the app to make videos targeting a younger audience. The franchise has now gone to become a regular content creator on the platform, attracting a whole new target market.
A TikTok agency
This trend has now given rise to Tikable, Sri Lanka's first TikTok-centric marketing agency dedicated to using the platform as a marketing tool to help brands reach out to Gen Z and Millennial consumers.
Tikable is an arm of Blendmedia, a marketing start-up that launched in 2018, that caters for 30 brands in both digital and traditional marketing.
According to Blendmedia Chief Executive Officer (CEO)/Co-founder Nipun Liyanapathirana, TikTok is currently the fastest-growing platform in the world right now, and products and services ideally targeted at the Gen Z and Millennial market – aged between 14 and 30 – can have much better traction there than any other social media platform.
"The reason people use TikTok is because it’s a short video-based platform, where they can create content in any way they like; they are only limited by their imagination. The app is all about promoting everyone to become a content creator; brands can use this as a new way to put themselves out there."
Speaking to The Sunday Morning Business, Liyanapathirana explained that the current digital advertising sector is used to a lot of scripted advertisements and high-end commercials, which consumers in that age group do not always relate to. He went on to point out that this is where TikTok stands out, as it is more raw and authentic for the consumers.
"Even if you take social media advertising on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, you see a lot of brands put out advertisements similar to what they would put out on TV. What this app has done is disrupted this social media advertising landscape, and now brands can activate themselves to a massive audience which is very young, at a much lower cost."
As an example, he pointed out that fashion brands that usually spend a lot of their budget on professional photo shoots, sponsored posts on Facebook and Instagram, and hire influencers, can instead use a smartphone to create a short video that gets the same amount of reach and penetration, or higher, in that target market.
Liyanapathirana stated that the platform opens up brands to a mix of consumers, with segments such as SEC (Socio Economic Class) A and SEC B upper, which are classifications used for the high socioeconomic classes in the market, coming into the platform following the Covid-19 pandemic. He explained that following the imposed lockdown, consumers had enough time to get their hands on the app and start regularly using it.
[caption id="attachment_87097" align="alignleft" width="300"] The Tikable logo[/caption]
"While initially there were mixed perceptions about the app in Sri Lanka, in January, we began to see it pick up and we saw what international brands were doing with it. So when the country was in lockdown, people downloaded the app and saw the short, dynamic, and simple videos, and realised that it was something unique, and kept going back."
He stated that brands already targeting consumers in this segment can prosper by introducing TikTok into their marketing plan, and other brands can expand their target markets too include this segment using the app.
"TikTok does not demand high-end production or content, so it is a great opportunity to roll out their marketing plans on the platform at almost no cost at all."
Types of campaigns
According to Liyanapathirana, Sri Lanka does not have the ability to run paid ads on the platform, like bigger markets such as the US and India. Instead, he stated that what local brands can do is run “hashtag challenges”.
The general idea of “hashtag challenges” is that users create videos that benefit your brands’ reputation and awareness. These challenges are unique to the platform and have the potential to go viral.
Liyanapathirana explained that these challenges have already been utilised locally by brands such as Dettol, which hosted the “handwash challenge”, and Maggi, which hosted the “papare kottu challenge”. He stated that the TikTok community is big on adopting trends, and therefore when brands introduce something fresh and interesting, everyone will start engaging.
He pointed out that internationally, brands can also initiate a hashtag challenge as a paid event, so brands can pay the platform and place the challenges in consumers’ explore feeds depending on the demographics they are targeting. However, since the feature is not available in Sri Lanka, he stated that brands have to rely on organic traction.
"The platform was built to target people who like to dance and be creative; challenges that incorporate some sort of a dance routine or an attractive sound track into the mix can help brands benefit from the platform."
Taking the hashtag challenge posted by Dettol as an example, Liyanapathirana stated that the campaign was done to share the company's message of keeping the public's hands constantly clean during this pandemic. He went on to state that the brand saw more than a 1,000 entries from that one campaign.
He stated that the campaigns created depend on the brand objective, i.e. whether they want to use the platform to drive sales or drive people to their websites and other social media. However, Liyanapathirana suggested that right now is the best time for brands to gain exposure through the app, by creating campaigns that would organically create traction and drive exposure.
Speaking on what sectors the platform would be ideal for, Liyanapathirana stated that the main sectors would be apparel and food and beverages (F&B), while SMEs (small and medium enterprises) in most sectors would benefit from it too, as they have diverse markets.
Another area he mentioned seeing a lot of traction is the automobile sector, due to content creators utilising their vehicles for their videos, opening up the app for automobile brands.
"From what we have seen, even celebrities and artists can use the platform to increase their following or keep their current followers entertained."
What part does Tikable play?
[caption id="attachment_87095" align="alignright" width="300"] Blendmedia Chief Executive Officer (CEO)/Co-founder Nipun Liyanapathirana[/caption]
Liyanapathirana explained that they wanted to create an agency that could get the platform to work for any brand, whether in dentistry, a fashion brand, or even a marketing manager for a blue chip brand. He went on to state that they want to help brands use TikTok as a new marketing channel that can be added into their marketing mix.
Tikable acts as a strategic partner for brands by helping them develop a comprehensive marketing strategy for TikTok. Liyanapathirana stated that they bring their creative expertise from having worked with 30 brands in Blendmedia's two years of operation so far.
"We will first create the strategy based on the brand's goals, depending on whether they want to drive brand exposure, drive sales, or just share a message. We ideally start with a three-month strategy for brands and then develop it into a six to 12-month strategy as we go forward."
He stated that Tikable's second job is to create the content for TikTok, generally videos between 15 to 30 seconds. Using one of their current restaurant clients as an example, he explained that they would visit their client once or twice a month, plan the content, and shoot all the content with the necessary models, props, and music.
Thirdly, Liyanapathirana stated that the agency will take care of the brand's TikTok platform, similar to how most agencies handle brands’ Facebook and Instagram accounts.
"We will be on top of the brands’ platform, handling comments, messages, and overall community management depending on the brand."
In addition to activating brands and businesses on TikTok, Tikable also partners with talented content creators on the platform to get them brand partnerships for content. They act as a bridge between the brands and content creators.
According to Liyanapathirana, the agency currently has 50-plus content creators, with more signing up every day. These include the likes of high-end influencers, micro influencers, and nano influencers.
He went on to state that since its launch at the start of May, Tikable has already managed to sign up four brands – one footwear brand, two restaurants, and a beauty brand.
When asked if the platform will continue to grow post-Covid, Liyanapathirana stated that while the pandemic gave the app some momentum, pushing its total downloads up form 1.7 billion to two billion, TikTok was anyway a fast-growing platform pre-Covid. Drawing comparisons with other social media platforms, he explained that TikTok has a much higher growth rate than the likes of Instagram.
Social media analysts have stated that TikTok is set to eventually beat Instagram due to more people moving from Instagram to TikTok each day. TikTok's growth is currently not slowing down, as its 800 million users is only 200 million less than that of Instagram. Due to its symbiotic relationship with TikTok, that will certainly please Tikable.